24~-North Shore News - Friday, April 14, 2006

Armanini working on new
piece for summer jazz fest

From Page 15

some of my music, some
Chinese music and other
contemporary pieces and
gradually my understanding
of the instruments increas-
es.”

Xia worked for the
Shanghai Opera and Dance
Theatre before coming to
Vancouver in 1994.
“Chinese-trained students
have quite a different musi-
cal sensitivity (from Western-
trained musicians),” says
Armanini. “They have a wide
range of folk musical style
and also very fluid tech-
niques. The instruments are
very sensitive so [ think chat

_ brings it out in the player. A
wonderful synchronicity
there.”

In China the lines
between. classical and folk

‘culture are blurred. “Their
folk music is what they study

: in conservatories — the dif-

~. ferent styles, scales, orna- .

ents and repertoire is stud-.

ed as folk music from the ~
various regions and so that
becomes their classical:

usic.” | wo

The yanggin, a ham-

cred dulcimer, is compati-
ble. with Western tuning. :

‘Played with bamboo maliets -

d chromatic in scale for-. -

- Theatre

Emerges.

Concertos for the erhu
(Chinese bowed instrument)
and the danbau (Vietnamese
string instruments) have yet
to be performed although an
excerpt from the latter piece
was played by the Khae Chi
Ensemble (who it was writ-
ten for) at a Sonic Boom
event in 1997,

Armanini’s interests in
traditional Asian instrumen-
tation and contemporary
Western music takes him far
outside conventional perfor-
mance practice. Another
project he is currently work-
ing on will receive its world
premiere at this year’s jazz
festival. “It’s an improvised
piano concerto called
Fingertips to Freedom and
Pau! Plimley, a long time
friend of mine will be play-
ing the piano part — we are
co-writing the piece. The
orchestra part is all written

- out — we're consulting

quite heavily and writing the

‘piece together about how to

do this —- the process of
doing it is quite unique.
We're trying to preserve the
spontaneity of the soloist
part as opposed to a written
score.” - .

The performance on
Sunday, July 2 at the Vogue

~~! Vancouver Orchestra and

note: The 25-piece

“semble will consist of 20-—

knowledgi

conductor John Zoltek.
“The refinement of the clas-

‘sical music is mixed with the — .
-chythmic vitality of the

improvised idiom,” says_
Armanini. “Paul’s piano __

playing is very refined and”

-he-has a good technique and -
‘2 wonderful sound and isa: -
~very fluid player. It’s a musi:

al combination that works
well — I’ve know him for

years and I’m quite «.. «:

impressed — I’ve watched

him-grow — I saw him play
bout two years ago and 1...
was blown away. It was quite: -

wonderful to hear. It
inspired me to get this :

assess the value of the claim 7

IS GNLY. ONE REASON.TO
EE’A LAWYER...YOU NEED ONE’.

RDAGI

‘HUNTER >

feature Plimicy _
- - with the 40-piece CBC

together.”

Other upcoming projects
include a new piece
“Heartland” for the Orchid
Ensemble’s debut CD,
arrangements of Chinese
folk songs for Silk Road and
a special Christmas perfor-
mance with Lars Kaario’s
Laudate ensemble. The
Capilano College
Foundation has also com-
missioned him to compose a
three-minute piece for the
Capilano College Singers.
This piece will have its pre-
miere on Friday, Oct. 6 ata
reception for the Visions of
the North Shore project.

As an instructor at Cap
College Armanini passes
along his eclectic tastes and
experimental nature to his
students. “Composition is
really play time. It’s time to
try things that you imagine

Gala evening set for April 29

From Page 18

rakes a poetic, yet realistic, approach to the
relationship between a young girl and her ail-
ing grandfather. The book is ideal for ages
four to eight but can be enjoyed by all ages.

This is Ovenell-Carter’s second children’s
book — her first, Adant’s Daycare, was also
published by Annick Press in 1997

Other books shortlisted for B.C. Books
Prizes with North Shore connections include:
Lions Gate (Talonbooks) — Lilia D°Acres and

Magazine profiies two

From Page V4

says that “racism won't matter in the 21st cen-
tury like it has in che past because the doors
being closed by racism will be oumumbered
by the doors thaz are opened by opportunity.”

In “Leaving A Legacy” Kyle Donovan
looks at two legends in business: Harlem
restaurant owner Sylvia Woods and Ebony
magazine publisher John J. Johnson. Woods,
the Queen of Soul Food, opened her own
restaurant in Harlem in 1962 and has since
branched out with her own brand of food
products.

snc Bau!

CALL FOR RESERVATIONS:
6695 Reson Avenue —

Don Luxton, First Son: Portraits (Arsenal
Pulp and Presentation House} — C.D. Hoy,
Frans Boas: The Early Years 1858-1906
(Douglas & Mcintyre) — Douglas Cole.

The 16th-annual B.C. Book Prizes will be
presented at Canada Place on April 29 in a
gala evening presentation hosted by play-
wright Morris Panych. There were more than
200 entries this year with 19 nominated
books from B.C. publishers and 11 from out-
side the province. ;

— John Goodman

legends in business

Johnson’s first publication, Negro Digest,
sold prepaid subscriptions to Supreme Life
insurance policy holders, at the time the largest
black-owned business in Chicago. From an ini-
tial mailing of 20,000 the magazine jumped to
a dreulation of 100,000 within eight months -
in 1942. °

The writing, photography and design put
nv above the rest of the Editorially it nav-
igates through the often. impersonal word of
business without losing sight of the communi-
ty. Great journalism and a model to uphold.
(Magazines available from Global News, The
Mavkzt, Park Royal South, 926-3460... -